This week, Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order creating a Task Force on Reducing Prescription Drug Prices. The task force is charged with addressing the rising cost of prescription drugs in Wisconsin, which the executive order says cost Wisconsin residents $1.3 billion in 2019 and costs the state’s Medicaid program $400 million annually.
The task force will be chaired by the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and vice-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Health Services. Other members of the task force will include:
- Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes or a designee
- Attorney General Josh Kaul or a designee
- Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection Secretary Brad Pfaff or a designee
- Department of Employee Trust Funds Secretary Robert Conlin or a designee
- Four members of the Legislature, two representing each caucus
- Stakeholders including consumer advocates, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and insurers.
The task force will review data on development, pricing, distribution, and purchasing of prescription drugs and other states’ actions addressing prescription drug prices, then make recommendations to Gov. Evers by December 31 of each year.
Bills addressing prescription drug prices currently circulating in the Legislature include pharmacy benefit managers regulation and repeal of minimum markup on prescription drugs. Read more about the bills here.